Saint Lucia

Introduction

Saint Lucia (sānt lōˈshə, –sēə) [key], island nation (2005 est. pop. 166,000), 238 sq mi (616 sq km), West Indies, one of the Windward Islands. The capital is Castries. Morne Gimie (3,145 ft/959 m high) and the twin pyramidal cones known as the Pitons are the most imposing landmarks. The country is subject hurricanes; it suffered significant destruction in 1980, 1994, and 2007. The population is largely of African descent and Roman Catholicism is the dominant religion, although there is a large Protestant minority. English is the official language, but Kwéyòl, a French creole, is also widely spoken, and many St. Lucians also speak French or Spanish.

The economy is largely based on agriculture (bananas, cocoa, and other tropical products are exported) and tourism. Saint Lucia has moved to attract foreign investment to its offshore banking industry, and has diversified its industrial base to include light manufacturing, the assembly of electronic components, and oil refining and transshipment. The United States and France are the main trading partners.

The country is a parliamentary democracy governed under the constitution of 1979. There is a bicameral Parliament, with an 11-seat Senate and a 17-seat House of Assembly; the government is headed by the prime minister. The monarch of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, represented by a governor-general, is the head of state. Administratively, the country is divided into 11 districts called quarters.